Change to Win Leaders March for Workers' Rights

Join Thousands of Workers and Community Members for the March From "Hollywood To The Docks"

LOS ANGELES, April 17 /PRNewswire/ -- Change to Win leaders James P. Hoffa, Teamsters General President, Bruce Raynor, UNITE HERE General President, and Arturo Rodriguez, United Farm Workers President, will join thousands of LA County workers and members today at the closing rally for the march from "Hollywood to the Docks" to fight for good jobs and to restore the American Dream for America's working families.

"The Teamsters took part in this march because we believe the fight for workers' rights must be a top priority among lawmakers in this country," said Hoffa. "Our most immediate struggle is taking place now, as bad trade deals are taking the jobs of so many Americans in this country."

Hoffa, along with more than one hundred Teamsters on motorcycles, will lead a contingent of thousands of workers, local labor leaders and elected officials to the closing rally for the march at the Port of Los Angeles in San Pedro. Environmentalists united in the Coalition for Clean & Safe Ports, a blue-green alliance, will also participate to spotlight the need to create good, green jobs of the future, starting with the Port trucking industry.

UNITE HERE President Raynor will be among the speakers at the rally stressing the importance of standing in solidarity in the fight to make the core jobs of L.A.'s economy into good jobs for L.A.'s workers.

"Employers don't give workers better pay or benefits, career opportunities or a secure retirement because we ask nicely," said Raynor. "Our ability to make meaningful gains is in our numbers. When unions stand together as a united front, employers respond and we make progress."

Today concludes the three-day long march to highlight recent gains for workers while supporting the hundreds of thousands of working families struggling to protect their jobs in the uncertain global economy. The 28 mile march from Hollywood to the Ports of Los Angeles in San Pedro included workers representing the key industries reflecting the core of L.A.'s economy: actors, longshoremen, homecare workers, teachers and janitors. They were also joined by over 30,000 port drivers, security officers, hotel workers, car wash workers, construction workers and LAX passenger service workers.

**Note: For more information regarding the march from "Hollywood to the Docks" visit: http://www.hollywoodtothedocks.org.**/

About Change to Win

Seven unions and six million workers united in Change to Win to build a new movement of working people equipped to meet the challenges of the global economy and restore the American Dream in the 21st century: a paycheck that can support a family, affordable health care, a secure retirement and dignity on the job. The seven partner unions are: International Brotherhood of Teamsters, Laborers' International Union of North America, Service Employees International Union, UNITE HERE, United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners of America, United Farm Workers of America, and United Food and Commercial Workers International Union.

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Source: Change to Win

CONTACT: Greg Denier or Noreen Nielsen, +1-202-721-0660, both of Change
to Win

Web Site: http://www.hollywoodtothedocks.org/

2008-04-17 18:25:27 0339257 PRNEWSWIRE